To Riordanlover16- I am incapable of writing pure fluff. I need angst, I need blood, I need injury! I crave violence :3

To valdeznation- WHAT THE FUCK INDEED, hellloooooooo! I was wondering where you were XD What do you think? I've done some things since your last review *hehehe* Don't jump off a cliff, you've got college to go to! Let me know how you get on, good luck! Love love!

He awoke to a headache and a mouth that tasted like cardboard. He was on something soft and warm, in somewhere dimly lit. He stared at the ceiling of corrugated metal, eyes riddled with grit. He raised a hand to wipe at them, numbness creeping down from his elbow and throwing off his aim.

He poked himself in the eye.

"Ow."

"Leo?"

"Huh?" He blinked, squinting against the self-induced splodges. He closed the injured eye and saw a familiar silhouette. "Lou?"

"Holy shit, you're OK."

"I never doubted," he rasped. Something cold touched his lips and blissfully crisp water filled his mouth. His vision had cleared by the time she took the glass away, immediately rising to seek out her face. "Hellooooo, nurse."

"Bastard," she reprimanded, swatting at him.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking." And he was. Tired, but nothing hurt like it had the last time he had been awake. He wriggled into sitting up, looking down at himself. He had a clean Camp Half-Blood T-shirt on, his lower half covered with a soft blanket. He shifted his legs, realising he was just in his boxers. He put a hand to his chest, pulled the material of the T-shirt away.

"I think I got it all," she said in a small voice. The back of her hand stroked his cheek. "I gave you as much nectar as I could. Ya colour's come back a bit." She caught his chin and made him look at her, studying his face intently. "You don't look so much like shit anymore."

"Your bedside manner could use some work." She started to say something, sentence dying on her tongue. Whatever relief had risen at seeing him awake was fading back into concern. She let go his chin, hand trailing down to meet his on his chest. "I'm OK, Lou."

"You weren't though."

"I am now."

She bowed her head, checking his fingers against her own. Leo watched her quietly, saw her sink into her thoughts.

Their hands were clean of blood, scrubbed to pinkness. He was clean too, clean and patched up. He could see faint traces of the empousa's claws on his chest and his arm. His T-shirt was clean and definitely not the one he had been wearing when they had left the flat.

He glanced around, seeing a rumpled trash bag behind her chair. A sleeve poked out of the top, evidence of disposal.

Louisa noticed where he was looking. Dark circles ringed her eyes.

"I had ta change ya clothes. They… were ruined, I'm sorry."

"It's OK."

"It's not OK!" she suddenly shouted, fingers tightening on his. "You nearly died 'n' I could do fuck all about it!"

"Lou—"

"I'm sorry." She shook her head, biting her lower lip. Leo pulled on her hand, moving her from the chair to the bed beside him. She did not fight him, sinking to sit with him and letting him hold her. She sniffled, dragging her fingers under her eyes. "I'm sorry," she said again. "I'll get better."

Leo pressed a kiss to her cheek. He did not forgive her for there was nothing to forgive.

How could he be like this? How could he be so patient with her, so understanding? What had she done to deserve it?

"Thank you," he said, the words searing her heart. She didn't deserve that either, squeezing her eyes shut against the uprising tide.

"What is this place?" she asked in a shaky voice. He smiled, not a smile that she saw but one she felt on her face, so close he was. Felt his mouth move, the warmth of his breath. She turned her head away, leaning into him. She could feel his heart against her arm, a reassuring thump-thump-thump that had almost stopped some hours earlier. "It's like Bunker Nine."

"Funny you say that," Leo said, taking her hand. "I've been calling it Bunker Ten."

He had brought the warehouse himself, using it as an overspill of Bunker Nine and his apartment, his West Coast base. Where they were now was a little home-away-from-home he had built. It was up in the catwalks, a wide platform overlooking the whole warehouse. He had a bed up here, which he currently occupied, a chest of drawers full of spare clothes, a small kitchenette and a bathroom further down. Everything was plumbed in and powered. It was a crash site more than anything, somewhere to camp when he was working too late and couldn't be bothered to trek home.

"I saw some leaflets," she said. She wanted to change the subject. Now he was awake, she wanted to change the subject. She did not want to dwell on how useless she had been. "What's Valdez Industries?"

"I'm a certified businessman now."

Something in his tone caught her ear. She sat up slowly, turning to look at him. He smiled and shrugged a shoulder. There was a new scar on his neck, ragged and almost the size of her hand. She forced herself to look him in the eye.

"What? Is… is this where you've been gettin' ya money?"

"Part of it. I made a name for myself. Told you I'm cool."

"Why didn't ya tell me sooner?"

"I liked your theories."

"Bastard," she half-laughed, holding his face in her hands. "What is it then, what do you do? For real, this time, no fuckery."

"I told you already there's no fuckery," he laughed. "I started out building prosthetics for disabled people. And then, uh, these ex-military forces heard about what I was doing, saw my work. I went from making artificial limbs to… to different home improvements to help them move about or security or—"

"Like at mine?"

"Yeah. Yours is the best I've done, no force on Earth can get through it. You included." He grinned slyly. "I'm usually here when I'm working. I'm on my own for the majority of it, but I can build these things pretty damn quick now I've got the hang of it." She frowned and he could see she was attempting to piece it all together. Leo turned her hand over and kissed her knuckles. "I've also been… what do you call it, commissioned? Yeah, I've been commissioned for some pretty big-name places as well, my security systems are so good. They don't skimp out when I send them the invoice."

Stunned silence. She did not blink once.

"Holy shit."

"Thank you."

"For real? You ain't robbin' banks?"

"Nope. Although I could, 'cos I designed their security systems."

"Fuckin' hell, Valdez," she marvelled. He beamed and she laughed. "Can't believe you ain't been braggin' about this, that ain't like you."

"I was enjoying the mystery."

"The drama more like." She shook her head, mystified. Leo nodded. She touched his cheek, smoothed his hair back from his forehead. He was so proud of himself, founding his own stability, building up his own place at last. No more running around, no more deflecting and changing, no more uprooting.

She clenched her jaw. Today had been too close of a call. He had worked so hard and she had almost taken it away from him.

That wouldn't happen again. She wouldn't allow it.

Leo captured her hands in his. She had drawn away without realising it, but he stopped her. His smile had softened with worry, as if knowing exactly where her thoughts lay.

"Lou," he squeezed her fingers, "today's just a bad day. Things will get better."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I just am," he shrugged. "Things always get better when you're around."

Seeing her hesitate, seeing her doubt, he made his grin big and cheeky. He lowered his head to hers, until they were almost nose-to-nose. "Would I lie to you?"

"Uh, yes. Case in point." She waved a hand at Bunker Ten.

"That wasn't lying. That was… elaborate secrecy." She was going cross-eyed to keep him in focus, pursing her lips. Sensing the turmoil behind that sea green, Leo reached for a distraction. He gasped dramatically. "I knew it," he whispered, "I knew it."

"Knew what?"

"You only love me for my money!"

"Fuck off!" She flushed, crushing his fingers. "You didn't always have ya money!"

"Ah, I see." He kissed her cheek, lingering for a moment. Her skin tingled when he drew away, that cheeky grin stamped in place. He was nodding, sage and whimsical. "So you love me for my ass then."

"Go back to bein' unconscious."

"It's the only reason I can think of, if it's not the money."

"I will knock you the fuck out."

But he was laughing and, very soon, so was she.

See! No fuckery!